Kyle Hency

Want to learn more from pioneers in the Angel and Venture Cap field? Check out the How Women Invest event next month with the talented Nancy Hayes.

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To all #founders and #entrepreneurs out there, our intro meetings are conversational and easy going. Feel free to message me to setup a call. Learn what Pioneera Ventures can do for you!

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I really enjoyed recording this episode of The Digital Industrial Podcast with Ty Findley. We talked about common misconceptions for deep tech, the "Why Now" for the category, and differences between investor diligence for deep tech and traditional tech. https://lnkd.in/eKtwjauu

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Overwhelmed by the back-and-forth negotiations and complexities of managing contracts when closing deals? Join me on this week's episode of The Lobster Talks Podcast by Lobster Capital as I chat with Jake Stein, co-founder and CEO of Common Paper, a company that's revolutionizing the way startups manage contracts! Jake, a seasoned entrepreneur with TWO successful exits, knows firsthand the frustrations of dealing with complicated agreements. He shares how he built Common Paper to streamline the entire process, from negotiation to payment, offering standardized contracts and powerful software that automates everything. In this insightful conversation, you'll discover: -The pain points of traditional contract management: Hear Jake's personal experiences and learn why he decided to build a better solution. -The power of standardization: Find out how Common Paper's open-source contracts simplify the agreement process and create a win-win for both parties. -Automation & APIs for efficiency: Discover how Common Paper's software integrates seamlessly with your business systems, automating tasks and saving you valuable time. -Building optionality in your startup: Jake shares his expert advice on fundraising, selling your business, and maximizing your leverage in negotiations. -The advantages of Y Combinator: Get a glimpse into the benefits of joining YC from a successful founder who credits the program for propelling his growth. Watch episode now and transform your approach to startup contracts - https://lnkd.in/ebRVUsuv #lobstertalks #startup #contracts #commonpaper #YC #entrepreneur #fundraising #exitstrategy #legaltech #business #podcast #innovation #automation

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Super fun product leaders forum hosted by Workato, a Norwest Venture Partners portfolio company. Alex Hood, CPO of Asana was our special guest speaker. Since joining Asana six years ago, the company has grown from 225 to 1800 employees.  Some insights from Alex include: 1) If everyone is jointly accountable for something no one is accountable. 2) A task has a name, face, and due date. This makes you accountable unlike email where a ball can be dropped.   3) Compute costs will eventually be greater than payroll costs as everything and everyone will have a bot. 4) ChatGPT proves that #AI can produce more content, more tasks, and more to-dos. But more is not better. The magic of AI is actually when it takes away work. Scott Beechuk, Gautham Viswanathan, Bhaskar Roy, Harish Shetty, Vijay Tella, Rishi Mallik, Nam Le, Rajeev Bansal, Markus Zirn, Thomas Ream, Carter Busse, Cody Guymon, Jayesh Shah, Amlan Debnath, Natalie Fini, Monica Peotter

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Are you a CPG #startup? Catch my interview with Dayton Miller of BFG Partners, a VC fund that invests in "better for you" consumer products. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast, including: +how founders can build relationships with investors +what does your startup's metrics need to look like to attract VC +typical expansion paths for CPG companies (e.g. D2C --> specialty retail --> mass retail --> club etc) as well as: +tips for emerging VC managers on raising their first fund (as well as how things change for funds #2 and #3) +how to be thoughtful and differentiated with your fund's thesis +what you need in your pitch materials package and more. BFG most recently raised $125 million for fund number 3 to back healthy food and beverage startups such as prebiotic soda OLIPOP PBC and cauliflower pizza crust maker CAULIPOWER. The firm invests from seed to series B with check sizes varying between $3 million and $5 million. Its previous two funds were $54 million and $108 million, respectively. Check it out, like and share :) Danke, Nathan

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Is your company ready to scale but hesitant to commit to a full-time COO? A fractional COO might be the strategic move your business needs. Here are a few points I've found from various articles that explain why: - Growth-enabling: A fractional COO allows your leaders and CEO to concentrate on the company's long-term vision and strategy, ensuring that high-level goals are not just set but achieved. - Clear direction: Your project management and operations teams can dedicate more time to what they do best—execution—while your fractional COO handles the strategic oversight. - Flexibility: Businesses grow at different paces. A fractional COO offers the flexibility to adjust their involvement based on your current needs, providing precisely the right level of support without overcommitting resources. - Reduced risk: Opting for a fractional COO minimizes risk. You benefit from the expertise of someone with a proven track record in guiding a business like yours without the gamble of a permanent hire. I'd love to hear your thoughts or experiences with this. How has a fractional COO impacted your company? #FractionalCOO #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipStrategy

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I believe two of the big winners over the next 10 years in the SMB category will be PE who are rolling up the businesses and GenAI powered software that makes running these businesses significantly more turnkey and/or profitable. Thanks for having me on Jay Kapoor. If you want spicy takes fast forward to 25 min mark. If you want to get deep in market analysis buckle in for the whole thing. https://lnkd.in/d8M7Jyrx

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CFOs when you bring forward a business case that says that we can save ______ hours with a new tool. Time savings only matters if: 1. More can be produced with the same resources - with a clear plan articulated on HOW this happens 2. Less people are required Otherwise? Not in my house!

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https://lnkd.in/e-Cc-PhA Just wrapped up a case study highlighting some successful value creation work for a vertical software company. After a funding event, it can be tough for management teams to align on which initiatives to tackle first. Here are a few tips from my experience: 📈 Prioritize Compounding Benefits Start with initiatives that enable or build capabilities. These early projects are not the most glamorous. The long term value is the momentum they create and tone they set. They pave the way for bigger wins down the line. 🚧 Address Bottlenecks We identified and fixed a major technical bottleneck in the sales funnel. This gave us an immediate boost to revenue and win rates. The less obvious win was a finding that our marketing efforts were more effective than we thought. Many opportunities fitting the ideal customer profiles were getting stuck at the bottleneck! ✴ Find the Triple Word Score Initiatives Focus on initiatives that add value across multiple valuation categories like revenue, margins, and multiple expansion. My favorites are those that improve operating leverage and scalable unit economics. Operating leverage improves as each dollar of increased revenue earns a little more Operating Margin (EBITDA) over time. In the case study, I renegotiated two of the largest variable cost supplier contracts, leading to immediate improvements in unit contribution margins and setting the stage for increasing margins as revenue grew. This is a valuable function of a durable business model. Most teams agree on what needs to be done, but not always on the order. Choose initiatives that start building a solid foundation for future investments or the Quick Wins with high impact. A few good articles that touch on the technical concepts.. Healthtech: Show Your Magic | Andreessen Horowitz  https://lnkd.in/eGkDnkiG The Gross Margin Problem - Bottom Up by David Sacks https://lnkd.in/e9J2Eqaa

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Over the years I’ve seen the post going around in various forms of how Bessemer Venture Partners keeps a *robust* anti-portfolio on their website. It’s fun, self-aware, humbling, and differentiating. If you haven’t already, go have a look. (As an aside, I’ve been to their offices in Cambridge multiple times back in the day while visiting Kent Bennett, the venerable Felda Hardymon, my dear friend Steve Papa (if Steve was capable of “friendship”), and the young(er) founders of a company called Toast - Bessemer wallpapered their bathrooms with the rejection IRMs of said anti-portfolio). Anyone who has been in the game long enough probably has their own version. Companies they could have invested in, but passed on, only to be made a fool when said company later becomes a decacorn. My personal opinion - and I tend to think one that Bessemer shares - is 1) we all make mistakes, 2) we’re human and at times quite dumb, and 3) hell, at least we had access in the first place. Venture investing is about seeing as many amazing opportunities as you can, even if sometimes that means missing a few…dozen. Either that or I’m totally full of shit and we’re just plain idiots. What do I know. I’ve only been doing this for three years. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In any case, in the spirit of giving myself a Father’s Day gift of crow, which I plan to eat, here are some of mine: Toast: not sure if Steve P would have let me into his $4M or whatever it was round never mind the Seed or the A, but I feel like I could have convinced them. Steve F and Aman said they were going to fully rebuild a POS after running into integration nightmares with Micros, Aloha, et al, and I thought they were crazy. Old industry incumbents. Entrenched. Insert foot in mouth, and then pull it out and use it to kick my own ass. Klaviyo: TJ Mahoney was a pre-seed investor and he told me about it. Said AB was a stud. I passed without even talking to them. $8M valuation or around there I think. Shopify ecosystem play? Ew. Sigh. I’m a dumbass. Pillpack: mentored TJ a bit early when he was having some team stuff going on at Techstars. The hippie. $4M post or something. Said no. Whoops. Drizly: Nick Rellas kept stonewalling me, the little twerp, but pretty sure I had a small spot. Pat Kinsel would have got me in. Slept on it. Round closed. I’m an idiot. Draftkings: met Jason at a dinner and Ryan Moore told me to hop in at pre-seed - I already had a small play with a competitor. Jason and I became great friends (which we are to this day). Really knocked that one out of the park. Way to go, Phil! Good eye! Anyway, PLENTY more where that came from and I’m sure I’m currently in the process of creating one of the world’s most epic anti-portfolios at Impellent Ventures. But, again, c’est la vie. Better than sitting on the sidelines and wondering what could have been. At least I know what could have been - a gazillion more dollars than I have right now. Ah well. Batter up! *p.s. I’ve had some winners, too ;)

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Kevin Lavelle has built some amazing DTC brands like Mizzen and Main. This week on The Founder's Journey Podcast, Kevin and I discussed bad lessons, advice, taking risks, and venture capital trends. At first, Kevin didn't see the need to hire an industry expert. However, by the second or third year, he discovered that bringing in industry expertise could have helped identify gaps and areas for improvement that he needed to be aware of. His advice is clear: Don't make the same mistake. Invest in an industry expert early on. Hiring is a struggle on its own. Kevin's journey through hiring shows the learning curve of starting a business. He explains how he first made every mistake in the book when hiring. The key takeaway? Embrace the process, learn from your experiences, and remember that patience is your greatest ally in business. 📌 Don't miss out! Learn from Kevin's experience in this week's edition of The Founder's Journey Podcast. Listen to the full episode today and subscribe—the link is available in the profile and comments.

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All #entrepreneurs hit a fundraising plateau. It's the founders who push through that plateau that see fundraising spikes at the end of their #RegCF campaigns. Here are 3 tips to help you break through and keep the momentum going: 1. Engage Your Community: Keep your current and potential investors excited and informed. Regular updates, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive Q&A sessions can reignite interest and drive further investment. Authentic engagement builds trust and encourages your supporters to spread the word. 2. Leverage Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers, industry experts, or complementary businesses to expand your reach. A strategic partner can introduce your campaign to a new, engaged audience, providing the boost you need to overcome a plateau. 3. Optimize Your Marketing Efforts: Reevaluate and refine your marketing strategy. Analyze what’s working and what’s not. Use targeted ads, compelling storytelling, and strong calls-to-action to attract new investors. Sometimes, a fresh approach can make all the difference. Breaking through a plateau requires persistence, so don't give up! Stay proactive and keep pushing forward!

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Join me as I share the secrets to gaining Angel Investment (being ESIC is one) and help you land your pitch and get your message across. I'm joined by experienced founders who can share their experiences and help you develop your own (survive the) Chasm Plan.

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I'm excited to reshare this timeless episode of #Supermanagers featuring David O. Sacks, a member of the PayPal Mafia, founder of Yammer, Inc., and General Partner at Craft Ventures. David offers invaluable advice for CEOs, managers, founders, and anyone looking to elevate their organization. In this episode, David dives into:  - Introverted leadership - Managing hyper-growth - Knowing when to throw out processes  - And so much more. Don't miss out on his unique perspective and leadership journey. Tune in to learn from one of the best in the business! 🎧 Link in comments 👇

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3 ways to get venture capital's attention... To successfully attract venture capital funding, focus on three key elements: clearly identifying a significant problem that resonates broadly, offering a simple yet effective solution to that problem, and defining a large market opportunity with credible research. This approach increases your chances of capturing VC interest and securing the necessary funding to grow your startup. To get more in depth on these solutions click this link -> https://lnkd.in/efUfd4Jd Branded Hospitality Ventures #innovation #technology #AI #venturecapital Matthew Lerner Noah Stern Ryan T. Melohn Coleman Clyde Stuart O'Keeffe

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Should I use only equity for my search fund acquisition? 👇 If you can convince enough shareholders to part with their cash in order to purchase a company, this is the simplest way to go. A few thoughts: 1. Equity carries no covenants or external limits on how you and your team run the company. 2. Since there’s no debt, you have a higher risk tolerance. 3. Equity investors are patient. Debt holders are not. 4. Investors get well rewarded for shared success. If you do well, they do very well. This can make it easier to raise capital. 5. Some companies are not a good fit for debt. Lenders like predictable cash flow, hard assets and a history of profitability. 6. Equity is easy to raise compared to debt, which involves due diligence, counterparty risk, and tight terms. On the other hand, equity is expensive. You will have to give away the value of the money up front, and more.

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Wei D. (Founder and CEO of unicorn Clipboard Health) dropped some major 💎 gems of wisdom during her fireside chat with PearX founders at Pear VC SF Studio yesterday. These really resonated: 💎 PMF isn't something you achieve once - staying relevant to your market is an ongoing pursuit 💯 (Wei shared that to date she still LOVES talking with customers and - even at 1000+ employees and with all the success already achieved - she continues to chase unlocks for the business and recently obtained her nursing assistant certification in order to stay close to users and unlock new insights with them 🥇) 💎 If you're scared of sales, don't think of it as sales -- you're just talking to someone who you're trying to help. Approach your customers with care and listen to them as you would a friend. The moment it's an actual conversation with a friend, that's probably where you're going to get your first sale. If it feels "salesy" you're probably not doing it the right way. 🤝 💎 Do whatever it takes to get in front of your customers! (For Wei this meant driving around at 8 months pregnant and walking up to DMs at nursing homes!) 🚗 💎 The users you speak with in your market will give you the key jargon you need to use to speak back to your market. Listen intently and adopt their language! 🗣 💎 There is little you decide that can't be undone. Be smart, make calculated decisions, but don't overthink things --- err on the side of action and quick decision making. 🏃‍♀️ 💎 Iterate until your users feel passionately about what you're doing (ie. they get angry when the product is down or doesn't work). You want your users to care A LOT about the problem you're solving. 😡 Wei's resilience, grit and work ethic are off the charts. What an inspiration! 👏 #femalefounders #inspiration #techfounder #unicornfounder #hero

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Amongst the most successful VCs in consumer in the past decade has been Kirsten Green at Forerunner So I asked her all about how startups can navigate the 70% reduction in consumer investing & why now might be the best time for VCs to look harder at the category. I loved this discussion. I always learn something from Kirsten. Click below to watch / listen https://lnkd.in/g3kiMPD5

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